VCSEL Array Shielding Layer for Optical Appearance Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Infrared (IR) emitter modules in devices often disrupt the optical appearance, making it challenging to integrate them seamlessly into consumer applications without altering the device's overall aesthetic.
Innovation Solution
An array of vertically cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) with a shielding layer applied over the electrode structure to match the optical appearance of the device, using materials like silver, chrome, or phosphor layers to ensure the electrode structure does not emit light and blends with the device's housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a VCSEL array is used as an IR emitter module, then the device can perform infrared emission functions, but the golden appearance of the electrode structure does not match the common appearance of device housings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a shielding layer with specific optical properties (white, black, or colored appearance) over the electrode structure to change its visual appearance. This layer can be opaque or semi-transparent and is designed to match the surrounding device housing appearance, thereby resolving the contradiction between functional performance and aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding layer acts as an intermediary element between the functional electrode structure and the external environment. It mediates the visual appearance by being applied over the electrode structure, allowing the underlying functional components to remain intact while presenting a visually acceptable surface that matches the device housing.
2Device complexity
If the electrode structure is left exposed, then the VCSEL design remains simple, but the golden appearance dominates and does not match device housing appearance
Solution Approach 1:
By applying a shielding layer with desired optical properties (white, black, or colored) over the electrode structure, the patent changes the visual appearance from the inherent golden color to a appearance that matches the device housing, while adding minimal complexity to the overall design.
3Shape
If a shielding layer is applied to match the optical appearance, then the appearance matching is improved, but the device component becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding layer is applied selectively - it can cover only the electrode structure or extend to cover non-light-emitting areas between VCSELs. This partial application approach provides sufficient appearance matching without unnecessarily increasing device complexity by coating entire arrays or adding excessive structural elements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a uniform optical appearance by masking the electrode structure, ensuring the IR emitter modules do not alter the device's appearance, even when switched off, thereby enhancing the aesthetic integration in devices like smartphones and cameras.
Implementation Method 1
The shielding layer is a non-transparent layer being either opaque or semi-transparent at least with the visible range of the wavelength spectrum of light
Implementation Method 2
The shielding layer covers at least the electrode structure in order to prevent light from being reflected from the electrode structure
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention describes an array of light sources (1) comprising multiple VCSELs (2) arranged laterally to each other on top of a substrate (3), wherein each VCSEL (2) comprises a light emitting area (21) surrounded by an electrode structure (22) which does not emit light, wherein a shielding layer (4) is applied on top of at least the electrode structure (22) only covering a surface (22s) of the electrode structure (22) facing towards an average light emitting direction (5) of the VECSELs (2), the shielding layer (4) is an opaque layer and being adapted to optically match the array (10) in a switched-off state to an outer surface (11s) of a housing (11) of a device (10), where the array (1) of light sources is to be installed. The invention further describes the device (10) comprising such an array (1) and a method (100) for manufacturing an array of light sources (1).